Seattle Sounders Fc vs Los Angeles Football Club Picks and Predictions March 8th 2025

Seattle, LAFC Center Focus on Rival After Hectic Start to 2025

Hectic is an accurate way to describe the start of the 2025 season for both Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders.

Both clubs were in action midweek for the second round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, with LAFC cruising to a 3-0 win over Columbus thanks to two goals from Denis Bouanga, while Seattle played to a scoreless draw with Liga MX powerhouse Cruz Azul.

But no matter what else is happening, all focus shifts when these two rivals meet.

They clash Saturday afternoon in Seattle, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals, where the Sounders eliminated LAFC in overtime.

LAFC Leaning on Defense in Strong Start

Los Angeles FC (2-0-0, 6 points) has opened the season with back-to-back 1-0 shutout victories, marking a shift in mentality after losing three of its top four scorers in the offseason.

“It’s one of the things that we were highlighting this offseason and for sure this preseason. We want to get back to being a club that does not let goals in,” LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead said.

“Going back to the identity this year of our backline being solid, keeping clean sheets. And you can see it (at) the beginning of this season. If we have to win games 1-0 we have to be ready to do that. And we have. We’ve proven we can. That needs to be part of the DNA of this team, not relying on three, four goals a game.”

Head coach Steve Cherundolo, a former U.S. national team defender, joked that his job has given him “more gray hair” since last season, but he loves the team’s defensive commitment.

“If you have hard-working players, players who understand the do’s and do nots of defending and our principles at LAFC, you’re going to have a team that’s hard to beat,” Cherundolo said.

While the defense has been LAFC’s backbone, they still have one of the league’s most dangerous goal-scorers up top.

Bouanga, the 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner, remains the focal point of the attack and proved it against Columbus, scoring twice in a dominant midweek performance.

LAFC will also be seeking revenge after falling to Seattle in last season’s playoffs, a game where Jordan Morris scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Seattle Searching for MLS Consistency

The Sounders (0-1-1, 1 point) have struggled in their first two MLS matches, conceding own goals in both games while failing to secure a win.

Seattle opened the season with a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC, where Morris scored twice to reach 86 career goals across all competitions—tying Raul Ruidiaz for the club record.

However, the Sounders’ defensive lapses have cost them points, including a 1-0 loss to Austin FC where a second-half own goal proved to be the difference.

“The start to our league season hasn’t been great, there’s been a couple of mistakes,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said.

Seattle did show defensive improvement in its 0-0 draw with Cruz Azul on Wednesday in CONCACAF Champions Cup play, despite limited time to train due to a packed schedule.

“The games are so close together, we can’t train a ton on the field,” Schmetzer said. “But we made sure we did our jobs to make sure we saw the things we wanted to improve on defensively. Those guys have a lot of pride in what they do, so I give a lot of credit to them.”

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What’s at Stake?

For LAFC, Saturday’s match is a chance to extend its perfect start, prove its defensive identity, and get revenge for last season’s playoff exit.

For Seattle, this game is about correcting early defensive mistakes and proving it can still compete at the top of the Western Conference.

With both teams balancing MLS play and international competition, expect a high-intensity showdown as two of the West’s best clubs renew their rivalry in Seattle.